Signboard construction

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a signboard construction comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending, interlocking face pieces adapted to be secured to a supporting frame with means formed on the opposite edges of such interlocking pieces forming longitudinally extending rails adjacent to the opposite edges of such interlocking pieces for supporting a plurality of letters or figures on such signboard.

I United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,720,012

Loper 1 1March 13, 1973 i 1 SIGNBOARD CONSTRUCTION 2,193,502 3 1940Wagner 140 140 inventor: Rdbert J. p Pasadena Tex. 3,574,964 4/1971Ownbey ..40/l25 H X [73] Assignee: Trail-R-Slgns, Pasadena, Tex. PrimaryExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerRichard Carter [22] 1970AttorneyPravel, Wilson and Matthews [21] App]. N0.: 77,054

[57] ABSTRACT [,52] U.S.Cl. "40/140 Th5 specification discloses asignboal'd construction [51] Int. Cl ..G09f 7/02 comprising a pluralityof longitudinally extending 58 Field of Search ..40/12s H 140 142 143Pieces adapted be Secured a porting frame with means formed on theopposite [56] Reterences Cited edges of such interlocking pieces forminglongitudinal] extendin rails ad'acent to the o osite ed es y 8 1 PP 8UNITED ES PATENTS of such interlocking pieces for supporting a pluralityof letters or figures on such signboard. 2,284,626 6/l942 Adler......40/l40 X 2,607,146 8/1952 Wagner ..40/l43 2 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures SIGNBOARD CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention The present invention pertains to signboards, billboardsor marques formed of a plurality of individual replaceable panels fordisplaying letters or advertising information which is removably securedto such signboard.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are various prior art signboardson which letters and other advertising media may be removably affixed bymeans of clips or other latching devices that connect a plurality oflongitudinally extending flanges or ridges formed on the face of asignboard. In many of the prior art devices, the signboard is formed ofa single sheet of relatively thin metal, such as aluminum or other sheetmetal product, with several rows of parallel ridges or other connectingmeans being formed in a single sheet. With this arrangement, when thesign is struck by various objects, such as bottles or bricks thrown byvandals or children at play, the face of the signboard is bent anddistorted so as to make it difficult or impossible to arrange theletters or advertising media in neat, orderly rows on the signboard. Itis frequently necessary to replace the entire signboard in order torepair or recondition a damaged sign.

Also, in many of the prior art signboards no provision is made forpreventing water from running down the face of the signboard which tendsto cause streaks or stains that discolor and thereby detract from theoverall appearance of the signboard.

SUMMARY The signboard of the present invention includes a plurality oflongitudinally extending strips of a width which approximates the heightof the letters or other advertising material to be placed thereon andhaving a pair of rails formed at the opposite edges of each individualstrip for interlocking with adjacent strips to form a unitary signboardfor supporting letters on such signboard. Another object of the presentinvention is to provide a new and improved signboard construction formedof a plurality of individual panels corresponding in width to theapproximate height of the letters carried thereon, wherein such stripsinclude an L- shaped flange at the opposite edges thereof for receivingclips on the letters and also for providing lateral drainage channelsfor conducting water which may fall on the face of the signboardlaterally to the opposite edges of such signboard to thereby preventwater from running down the face of the signboard and staining orotherwise discoloring the board.

The further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved signboard construction wherein the face of the signboardcomprises a plurality of one to two longitudinally extending individualpanels which may be stapled or riveted to a support frame so thatindividual panels may be removed and replaced in the event they are bentor otherwise damaged. With this arrangement, individual panels may beremoved and replaced without disturbing the remaining panels comprisingthe face of the signboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a partial front elevation ofthe signboard of the present invention showing the individual panelscomprising the face of the signboard secured to a support frame;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the signboardconstruction shown in FIG. 1 showing details of the construction of suchsignboard; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of one of the panels of the signboardshowing details of construction thereof.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the interlocking relationship of thepanels forming the sign face.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Briefly, the signboardconstruction of the present invention, which is designated generally Sin FIG. 1, comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending panels P,parallel upper and lower rails U and L respectively, for receiving theclips which support the letters A on the face of the signboard S. Asshown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the rails L and U interlock to form asubstantially continuous face of the signboard and yet permit panels Pto be removed and replaced in the event that the sign is damaged andneeds repair.

Considering now the signboard construction of the present invention inmore detail, the panels P include a substantially vertically extendingface member 13 having an upper forwardly extending right angle portion14 and a lower forwardly extending right angle portion 15 which projectsubstantially parallel to each other and forwardly of the face portion13. An upwardly extending leg member 16 extends upwardly and is inclinedforwardly from the forwardmost end l5-A of the lower flange l5 andsimilarly, an upwardly extending leg 17 projects forwardly and upwardlyfrom the forwardmost end l4-A of the right angle member 14.

As best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the upper leg 17 includes theU-shaped upper portion 20 with an inner leg or strip 22 that is foldedover and downwardly so as to extend along the inner side of the upperleg 17. As shown, the innermost end 22-A of the inner leg 22 is spacedrearwardly from the rear side like, as the forward leg 17 so as toprovide a gap indicated by the arrow 25 for receiving the lower leg 16of next adjacent panel P.

A plurality of such panels P are shown secured to a frame member 30 bymeans of a plurality of spaced rivets or screws 33 which extend throughsuitable openings in the face portion 13 of the panel P and are anchoredin the support frame member 30. Such support frame member 30 may eitherbe strips of wood or metal or the like, as desired. Of course, it shouldbe appreciated that the panel members P may be attached to oppositesides of such support strips 30 in the event it is desired to provide asign having display faces on opposite sides thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the rivets or screws 33 arepreferably attached through the ends of the panels P with the supportframe 30 comprising a perimeter frame. However, the screws or rivets 33may be positioned at other points on the panels P if desired.

The letter A" shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings is provided with upper andlower clip members or hanleg 16 is shown extending into the upperU-shaped leg 20 to provide an interlocking construction with each of theface panels P secured to the other panels adjacent thereto.

In constructing the signboard of the present invendinally extendingpanels P, which may either be painted or otherwise prepared for useoutdoors, are shaped to conform to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 and 4of the drawings with the upper U-shaped leg portion 17 and a lowerforwardly and upwardly inclined leg 16 adapted to and extending to theopen U-shaped end of the upper legs 17. Such adjacent panels P areconnected together by sliding one longitudinally into the other with thelower leg member 16 inserted through the opening 25 in the upper leg 17.with a plurality of such legs secured in interlocking fashion, theopposite ends of such panels may then be fastened or affixed to thesupporting frame30 by means of a plurality of rivets 33, screws or othersuitable securing means which may be quickly and easily removed tofacilitate the removal and replacement of individual panels P from thesignboard S.

It will be appreciated that with the signboard construction on thepresent invention, in the event water or other liquids fall on suchsignboard surface that the liquids will be drained laterally to the endsof the individual panels P rather than run down the face of suchsignboard to discolor or stain it;

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size,shape, and materials as well I tion, it will beappreciated that .aplurality of longituas in the details of the illustrated constructionmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A signboard construction for supporting removable letters and numberscomprising a. a support frame,

b. a plurality of longitudinally extending interlocking sheet panelsadapted to be connected together to form a signboard face,

. means for securing said individual sheet panels to said support frame,

.each of said longitudinally extending panels including:

l. a substantially plane face member disposed substantially parallel tosaid support frame,

2. a lower lateral member projecting forwardly from the lower edge ofsaid face member,

3. An upper leg extending forwardly and upwardly from the forward end ofsaid lower lateral member,

4. an upper lateral projection extending forwardly from the upper end ofsaid face panel and substantially parallel to said lower lateralprojecting member,

5. an inverted U-shaped channel projecting upwardly and forwardly fromthe forwar d end of said upper lateral pro ection for receiving theupper leg of the lower lateral member when two adjacent panels areinterlocked together to provide a continuous signboard face withlongitudinally extending channels therein and for receiving andsupporting a plurality of letters thereon.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said panel members are eachsubstantially the same width as the height of the letters affixedthereto.

* It t t

1. A signboard construction for supporting removable letters and numberscomprising a. a support frame, b. a plurality of longitudinallyextending interlocking sheet panels adapted to be connected together toform a signboard face, c. means for securing said individual sheetpanels to said support frame, d. each of said longitudinally extendingpanels including:
 1. a substantially plane face member disposedsubstantially parallel to said support frame,
 1. A signboardconstruction for supporting removable letters and numbers comprising a.a support frame, b. a plurality of longitudinally extending interlockingsheet panels adapted to be connected together to form a signboard face,c. means for securing said individual sheet panels to said supportframe, d. each of said longitudinally extending panels including:
 1. asubstantially plane face member disposed substantially parallel to saidsupport frame,
 2. a lower lateral member projecting forwardly from thelower edge of said face member,
 3. An upper leg extending forwardly andupwardly from the forward end of said lower lateral member,
 4. an upperlateral projection extending forwardly from the upper end of said facepanel and substantially parallel to said lower lateral projectingmember,
 5. an inverted U-shaped channel projecting upwardly andforwardly from the forward end of said upper lateral projection forreceiving the upper leg of the lower lateral member when two adjacentpanels are interlocked together to provide a continuous signboard facewith longitudinally extending channels therein and for receiving andsupporting a plurality of letters thereon.
 3. An upper leg extendingforwardly and upwardly from the forward end of said lower lateralmember,
 4. an upper lateral projection extending forwardly from theupper end of said face panel and substantially parallel to said lowerlateral projecting member,
 5. an inverted U-shaped channel projectingupwardly and forwardly from the forward end of said upper lateralprojection for receiving the upper leg of the lower lateral member whentwo adjacent panels are interlocked together to provide a continuoussignboard face with longitudinally extending channels therein and forreceiving and supporting a plurality of letters thereon.